13 Halloween Drink Recipes to Scare Up Good Times

Double, double, toil and trouble, looking for drinks that fizz and bubble?

Instead of offering soda and standard spirits to your petrified party guests, go the extra mile to serve up hair-raising Halloween concoctions. These magical and easy-to-make mixed-drink recipes include cocktails for grown-ups as well as under-age options for little ghouls who prefer goblin juice over grape juice. (See also: Frugal Cocktail Party Ideas)

1. Bleeding Heart Martini

For smaller Halloween get-togethers, like a scary movie night, treat your guests to a Bleeding Heart Martini, which tastes much better than it sounds. Foodies especially will love this out-of-the-ordinary recipe from Martha Stewart that calls for dry vermouth, gin, and a pickled baby beet placed on a cocktail skewer, which “bleeds” into and tints the clear liquid.

2. Poison Apple Punch

Snow White would be wise to steer clear of this lightly carbonated, non-alcoholic beverage, but your little dwarves will be lining up to have a taste. The recipe for 12 Bottle Bar's Poison Apple Punch calls for two parts spiced apple juice, one part ginger beer, and a half part raspberry syrup (you can find out how to make raspberry syrup here), festively garnished with cinnamon sticks, cloves, and apple slices.

3. Halloween Candy Corn Cordials

To make Food2’s Halloween Candy Corn Cordials, you’ll have to prepare several hours in advance, since the recipe calls for one-and-a-half cups of vodka infused (for at least three hours) with a half cup of everyone’s favorite autumn treat. When the vodka is spiked with sugary goodness, mix it with two ounces of orange liqueur, the juice of half a lemon, one large egg white (for a frothy top), and extra candy corn pieces for garnish. Perfect for a sweet-on-each-other party of two.

4. Witch’s Brew

Your feelings about Food Network’s Sandra Lee aside (personally, she drives me insane), her recipe for a Witch’s Brew sounds delicious and it’s easy to make — with or without alcohol. For the kid-friendly version, you’ll need a package of lime gelatin, three cups of pineapple juice, and a two-liter bottle of lemon-lime soda or ginger ale. To put a spell on your adult guests, just add two cups chilled vodka and wave your wand. If you want to go all out, put the drink mixture in plastic cauldron (probably available at your local dollar store) with a plastic hand and a block of dry ice for dramatic effect.

5. Dra-Kahlua

Whoever came up with this drink name at Kahlua should get a Frankenstein-sized raise — it’s brilliant! To make a Dra-Kahlua, you’ll need its namesake liqueur, a good cognac, triple sec, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup. The recipe is portioned to serve one, so if you’re serving multiple drinks, multiply the ingredients accordingly.

6. Horny Devils

If your revelers prefer spicy over sweet, they’ll go gaga for this fiery recipe for Horny Devils. In a pitcher, combine vegetable juice cocktail (like V8 — is there any other?), lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and celery salt. Fill a cocktail shaker with the vegetable-juice mixture and strain into a cocktail glass. Top it off with black vodka poured over the top of a spoon, so that the vodka runs down the glass and floats on top of the tomato juice. Give the drinks an extra kick with a chili-pepper garnish.

7. Bourbon Pumpkin

If you’re a bachelor hosting a small party for your buddies, this Bourbon Pumpkin recipe from Mademan.com is a sure winner. There’s no actual pumpkin needed — that part of the recipe comes in the form of Jack-O-Lantern-inspired olives – but you will need bourbon, ginger ale, and lemon and orange juices. It’s a drink that packs a masculine punch with little effort.

8. Boo Beverage

Moms and their little monsters will find this recipe for Boo Beverage totally irresistible. After blending orange juice, milk, orange sherbet, and bananas together — in four batches – pour the fruity mixture into glasses. On top, pipe on whipped topping in the shape of ghosts and place two chocolate chips on each shape to make eyes for a cute, colorful crowd pleaser.

9. Zombie Gut Punch

My Facebook friends (and my husband, much to his chagrin) know that I’m obsessed with zombies (seriously, the apocalypse is coming, y’all), so this recipe for Zombie Gut Punch from Real Simple is right up my dark alley. In a punch bowl filled with ice, combine vodka, triple sec, bitters, blood orange juice, and cherry soda. Rim each glass with grenadine before filling, and let the undead imbibe.

10. Bayou Slime

While anything with the word slime in its name sounds unappetizing, this Bayou Slime recipe is an exception. First you’ll need to muddle six to eight mint leaves in spiced cordial syrup. Add that to two parts dark rum and an egg white and shake until the mixture is chilled and frothy. When you strain it into a martini glass, you’ll have a sludgy liquid that’s completed when you add moss by way of chopped mint leaves sprinkled on top, sort of like a creamy mojito.

11. Blood Orange Margaritas

Summer is over, but there’s never a bad time for a refreshing margarita — especially this blood orange margarita recipe from Delish.com that screams Halloween. Before you mix the ingredients, salt the rims of martini or margarita glasses if you prefer. In a shaker, combine fresh blood orange juice, tequila, and triple sec or Cointreau with crushed ice and shake. Strain the vibrant liquid into the glasses and garnish with the orange wedges.

12. Spooky Screwdriver

It doesn’t get more festive and fun than this recipe for a Spooky Screwdriver from Divine Dinner Party (renamed Dead Dinner Party for the holiday) — and it’s the easiest of the bunch to make. In a clear cocktail glass (must be clear to achieve the desired effect) with ice, pour three ounces of pulp-free orange juice. On top of that, gently pour two ounces of very cold black vodka (put it in the freezer for an hour or so beforehand). When made correctly, the black vodka will sit on top of the orange juice to create a two-tone drink in traditional Halloween colors.

13. Pumpkin Milkshake

One last recipe for the kiddies. To create this creamy treat the whole family can enjoy, break out the blender and add one frozen banana, three tablespoons orange juice concentrate, three tablespoons of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix — it’s easy to get those confused at the store), one scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, and a third cup of water. This recipe for a pumpkin milkshake from Disney’s Family Fun serves two, so if you have more thirsty trolls in your household make sure you pick up the appropriate amount of ingredients. Happy Halloween!

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So much yum here (and I'd recommend the Bourbon Pumpkin for ladies as well, but hey -- I'm a bourbon gal). There are also a few standard cocktails that could easily be renamed for Halloween as well, like calling tequila sunrises "bloody sunrises," or dirty martinis "spit martinis" (okay, it's not horrific, but it's gross).